


Deerling, how time flies

by mandlien (cacau1005)



Series: Pokéstuck [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Adulthood, Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Anxiety, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Holidays, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Misunderstandings, Non-Binary Roxy Lalonde, Post-Break Up, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, can you break up with your best friend?, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28746645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cacau1005/pseuds/mandlien
Summary: It’s been seven years since Jake last met Dirk Strider face to face, and of all the ways he had imagined it happening over the years, it certainly wasn’t on his first day in Alola, on the middle of the Battle Buffet.His old rival is older, and while this seems like it could be a fresh start, the old misunderstandings between them, if not unearthed, might bury any chance of them becoming friends.If only Jake could bring himself to be honest.
Relationships: Jake English/Dirk Strider
Series: Pokéstuck [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107494
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: DirkJake Big Bang 2k21





	Deerling, how time flies

Jake’s heart danced a little jig even as he tried to smile apologetically to the other trainer. It was his first time in a Battle Buffet, and he could already tell he was in love. The sense of fast-paced battle right before a meal, the smell of fresh food wafting through the air, the risk of heading out with no food at all if you didn't fight fast and hard… And, of course, he couldn't discount the huge plates and the extra amount of food he gained by being a rather good trainer. 

Not to toot his own horn, of course! 

The other trainer smiled back and went on to challenge another client, both standing off in front of a particularly appetizing plate of Tamato pasta. 

He sipped from his bottle of water, wiping the sweat from his brow. His grandma always said to drink something after battling, since it was such an intense process, and it was no good to have a spill because you didn’t hydrate properly. He smiled fondly to his darling Espeon as he remembered hot summer days playing with his grandma and their pokémon. 

The waiter carried the plate of Hoenn ramen he won in a little cart to his reserved table. It already had two other plates on it: a Whirlpool sushi and a Vanillite parfait for dessert, all ready and fresh for eating time. He could hardly wait. 

Jake glanced at his ticket, noting that he only had two turns left to fight. It was alright, considering how much food he already had. 

At that moment, the powerful scent of carefully made Take Down steak wafted through the air, and Jake could feel a crack on his back, so fast he turned in the direction of the gold plated meat. The gold plated ones always gave the biggest reward, and he so loved steak… 

Jake walked casually, glancing only a little to the sides. Espeon trotted beside him cheerfully, and he loved her deeply for enduring his non-sense. He stopped in front of the plate and contemplated how he would totally win this steak, and then he could maybe share it a little with her. 

He didn’t like to think of himself as an egotistic kind of man, no way! But all the other challengers had been defeated fast, and Espeon was still mostly alright. He only had to hit fast with a Psychic and- 

“Jake?” 

He jerked away from his daydreams at the sound of the familiar voice, if only because of phone recordings and internet videos. It had been over seven years since he last saw Dirk Strider in person, and yet his heart still gave a silly jump at the sight of those dumb glasses. 

He had grown, he wondered dumbly, unsure why he was surprised. He had kept up with Dirk over the years at odd moments, unsure and shy at the idea of actually talking to him, but still wanting to know what was up with his old rival. He had become a successful and great trainer like Jake always knew he had the potential to be. Jake was pretty sure the only reason Dirk didn’t achieve his old dream of becoming Champion was that he was too busy being a hotshot Gym Leader to enter the League. 

He had stupid little side-whiskers and a cap covering what was once carefully cared for hair. He looked faintly tired, sweat dripping on his skin. His backpack was a beat-up thing, and Jake could see three pokéballs in his waist holder. 

“Dirk!” Jake exclaimed. “Howdy, bro! It’s been so long.” 

Jake covered the distance in a single bounce and gave him a hug. Dirk seemed to freeze for a moment, before he carefully patted him in the back, a single acknowledgment. 

“I’m well, I suppose. What are you doing in Alola?” 

He let go of his friend and laughed because his silly personal problems surely weren’t even worth mentioning. 

“Just the old bones wanting to move. You know how it is! One day you’re home, another you’re out in the world, getting into a new adventure.” 

Dirk raised a single eyebrow at him, and Jake just smiled wider. He had learned a long time ago that most people didn’t ask many questions of him when he smiled extra wide. 

Fourteen-year-old Dirk wouldn't have let it go, he would have kept digging and digging in subtle ways until Jake just blurted it all out at him like he was a broken garbage disposal spilling shit all over the place. This Dirk simply let it go. 

He nodded at Espeon with the smallest smile on his face, as she moved between his legs, trilling with affection. “The old girl evolved, huh? She looks good.” 

Jake relaxed a little, more confident now that the talk was firmly in the field of pokémon. Jake could talk about his pokémon all day. 

"She did! It was quite a surprise. After a few years, I decided to simply not evolve her. But then she sneakily evolved on her own, didn’t you, kitten?” He ended in a whisper at Espeon, and she peeped back at him, eyes a little wide. 

He remembered them as boys, watching the egg shake and shake until the blinding light filled the space between them. Her tiny snout as she nudged the egg’s shell aside, as she glanced at Jake with big brown eyes. 

She had always loved Dirk like a second father, though. 

A waiter came to a stop beside them and cleared his throat, impatiently. 

“Are you gentlemen going to battle?” 

Jake stiffened, remembering suddenly that he was in a Battle Buffet, with a pile of steak waiting to be won, with other people probably also wanting for their own servings of steak. Dirk simply nodded, and Jake felt the sudden pool of warmth on his chest at the thought of battling Dirk. Still… 

“I only have two more rounds.” He confessed. 

Dirk frowned ever so slightly, and Jake couldn’t help but imagine that maybe he also wanted a true battle between them, a chance to stretch their muscles after so many years. For all the problems Jake had with the trainer circuit, battling Dirk had always been a joy. 

"I'll get another plate, them. We can eat at the same table." He said, though it sounded like a question by the last word. Jake nodded and smiled a little. 

In the end, he didn’t pay attention to his next challenger. It was as easy as he imagined it would be, two attacks and the other was knocked out. The steak didn’t feel like such a huge victory, in front of Dirk and his presence. 

He sat on his table and scratched Espeon’s neck as she entwined between his heels. One of the best things he had found about Alola, so far, was their deep connection with their pokémon. Back in Kanto, they would have surely frowned at Jake if he let Espeon out of her pokéball in a restaurant. 

Dirk came soon after, his own card filled out. Jake wondered if he fought especially hard to come sooner. But maybe he hadn’t needed to; people in this town weren’t all that leveled up, and Dirk had always been a great trainer. 

Jake could almost feel his gaze on his skin and gulped, a little nervous. 

“So, old pal, you never told me why _you_ were traveling. Some new business opportunity?" 

Dirk sat in that careless cool way of his, leaning forward on his seat with an intensity Jake never saw in another person, and he shifted in his own seat, remembered being thirteen and hoping this cool new friend of his could also find him as cool, as admirable. 

“The opposite, actually. Let’s just say that my life has been like a Deerling tumbled downhill for years and it’s finally managed to reach solid ground.” He said, smirking wryly. He looked sad. “This Deerling is so ridiculously dizzy he can’t quite walk right, though. He keeps stumbling around and knocking stuff over. He finally reached stability but nothing feels stable, suddenly. He got quite used to the movement of falling downhill, you know? And he doesn’t quite know what to do now.” Dirk shut up, a look of realization on his face. “I’m rambling. I’m the Deerling, the Deerling is me.” 

“Well, doesn’t this Deerling have someone to help him out, stop him from knocking stuff over?” 

“ _This_ is an attempt at helping out.” He said, gesturing at the table, at the restaurant. 

“What, a cheap ticket for the Battle Buffet? You know it only costs 12 bucks, right?” 

“Not the Battle Buffet,” he said, and Jake could almost feel how he rolled his eyes. “This trip to Alola. One friend of mine decided I was moping for too long and that I needed to travel a little. They had a ticket and no way to come, so they made me come instead.” 

“Bro, I doubt anyone could make you do anything you didn’t want to do.” Jake pointed out. “Besides, didn’t you have to apply for a Trainer Passport?” 

Dirk smiled a little, a small quirk of lips. “Maybe not most people. But you don’t know Roxy. They are a true force of nature. And their new girlfriend works in the consulate, apparently.” 

“Well, I’ll have to meet them at some point, won’t I? They sound aces. You’ll have to introduce us.” Jake said, jokingly. Then it hit him, what he said, what he implied, and he froze. 

Dirk also seemed to freeze. Both of them were completely still for a moment, and it was only Espeon’s chirps that reminded Jake of the time and place. 

"We should probably eat," Dirk said quietly, and they proceed to do so. 

Jake didn’t really feel that hungry, all of a sudden. The queasiness on his stomach rose until it felt like he could vomit. The accumulative weight of years of mistakes and lost opportunities weighed on him, the constant realization that he was truly a coward where it counted. 

He ate anyway. It would seem weird if he didn’t eat after gaining so many plates, maybe even offensive to the restaurant. Maybe, Jake didn’t actually know a thing about Alolan culture. Also, he didn’t want to weird out Dirk. 

Espeon at least seemed happy with her serving of steak. Jake knew he would need to take care of her fur soon. A long day of battling could make anyone tired, and his girl deserved his best. He should also spend some time with his other pokémon, so they wouldn't feel left out. 

Dirk finished eating his second plate of Whirlpool sushi and laid down the chopsticks beside his plate. 

“Did you enjoy the sushi?” Jake said, nodding towards it. 

“It’s definitely different,” he said, face a little twisted. “Not bad, just not real sushi either.” 

“I mean, most of the people here probably never went to Kanto, makes sense.” He said, tasting his own sushi. Despite what he said, he felt his own face twisting a little at the taste of something familiar and strange at the same time. “It’s still nice that they tried to create their own version, though.” 

“Well, according to my research, there are many old Kanto families that moved here a few centuries ago. Maybe they just had to adjust the recipes. The fish are different here, that makes a difference in the taste.” 

"I guess," Jake said, tilting his head. “So it’s not so much a fake sushi, but simply a different tradition. I like that.” 

Dirk's lips curled just the slightest bit, the hint of a smile. They went silent as a waiter passed by, offering them drinks, and despite the nervousness, Jake couldn't deny the silent comfort of just being near Dirk again. He always felt safe near him, which probably came from traveling together for one year and falling into some truly dangerous shenanigans. 

They finished eating and went together to the exit. There, they exchanged their tickets, marked with what plates they consumed, and gained an item each. Jake glanced at the _honey_ and smiled, before tucking it away in his backpack. It was the worst prize he could have gotten, but Jake liked what he liked, he wasn't getting food he didn't love just because they were on a gold plate. 

They stood in the middle of the mall looking at each other. They were right on top of the stair, probably blocking the way of some poor schmuck. To the right, Jake could see a bunch of people seated, watching a competition between different Ride Pokémon. He could also faintly hear the sound of the fountain near the entrance, the water burbling. 

“Would you-,“ they both said and then stopped. Jake laughed a little and Dirk rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly nervous, which actually helped Jake to relax a little. 

"I don't actually have any plans for this trip," Jake admitted, smiling. "Did you want to do something?" 

There was a moment of stillness on Dirk’s face, and Jake wondered if he had got it all wrong. And then he spoke, looking to the side. 

“We could walk through the beach, maybe? I heard it’s a pastime to throw the Pyukumuku back into the water after battling them, and see who threw them farthest.” 

“Espeon is a little tired, I think. And the others already reached their limit today. We fought a tough trainer in the morning.” Jake mused. “But…” 

Jake looked at Dirk and wondered if he would let this opportunity go. Like so many times before, the phone in his hands, Dirk’s number memorized, the chance to call so near and yet so far away. That time he visited Vermilion City and saw him in the distance and instead of confronting him, hid away behind a tree. The fear of disappointing him, of telling him the truth… 

“I don’t know how long you’re planning to stay here. But I’m staying for a month.” Jake said, trying to stick to his conviction and be the man he always said he was. “Would you like to travel with me?” 

Dirk's gawked in surprise and he visibly hesitated. There was some struggle going on in there, that Jake tried but couldn’t quite read. Then he gave one of his rare smiles, and Jake loved seeing him smile, loved seeing him happy. Something buoyant floated inside him, and it felt like he could fly away. 

The fact his face was still a little tense was neither here nor there. 

"I would like that, yeah," Dirk said, quietly. His mouth twisted a little. "I missed you." 

"I missed you too," Jake said, helplessly. "Very much so." 

Jake tried not to think about all the complications, the unsaid things. For the moment, Dirk only twisted his fingers on the handle of his backpack, tapped his fingers against the pokéballs on his waist, and nodded. 

Espeon chirped curiously at the two of them, and Jake grinned at her. The sweet thing had always been excellent at social cues in a way Jake failed miserably at. He couldn’t help the fondness from sipping all over his face. 

"For the moment, I think I should actually bring them to the Pokécenter, get them healed up. But after that, I'm thinking about buying some things for grandma. Do you want to come with us?" 

"Sure, sounds good. Should buy something suitably ironic for my bro as well, and maybe something cat-themed for Roxy." Dirk nodded, and the two of them walked down the stairs, passing by the people that populated the mall, mostly tourists like them. "Think I'll make some phone calls, then. I haven't talked to anyone yet." 

"Me neither," Jake said, brightly. "And I don't really plan to." 

“Dude, not even your grandma? So rude.” 

"Well, I would call her, but she's actually knee-deep in a zone with no reception. She has been going on more and more expeditions after I left for my journey." 

They walked out of the mall, still talking about silly things and past moments. Jake tried to freeze this moment in his memory, so he could remember it always. 

* * *

One thing to be thankful for was the rather close location of the mall to the pokécenter. Even as he and Dirk talked, Jake was aware of how tired Espeon was beside him, after eating all that meat. She always craved a nap after eating, and she battled hard today. 

He wondered for a moment at the circumstances of Dirk arriving on the same day he did. Some kind of destiny thing, maybe, though Jake wasn't inclined to believe in that kind of malarkey. 

Still, it was surprising that he decided to simply accept the ticket to Alola because someone was pestering him. Dirk, he remembered, had pretty much the opposite approach to traveling than he did. He liked to plan everything out ahead of time, which had been a bit of a pain in the ass as a youngster. This sudden trip to Alola, no time to plan, must have thrown him for a loop. Roxy must be very remarkable indeed. 

Jake much preferred going by the seat of his pants. There was nothing more fun and interesting than finding yourself lost in a new place; you ended up discovering new and secret things that you otherwise wouldn’t have. 

The pokécenter was both like and unlike the ones from Kanto and the Orange Islands. The building was oval-shaped, with a big red door and many windows. On the top of the door, there was the normal symbol of a pokéball and several displays along the lateral of the roof. Jake saw for a moment a “ _New Alolan Pokémon League Arriving Soon!_ " and “ _Rent your Pokémon Ride today!_ " scrolling by the display. 

On the inside, one of the members of the Joy Family stood in front of a counter, head lowered as she messed with a computer. Two trainers were waiting in line, and some were sitting on benches, probably waiting for their pokémons to be released. Jake could see the nearby elevator ringing as it arrived on their floor and corridors branching out into the building with signs to direct the trainers. He assumed the signs were there in part due to the huge number of tourists in Alola every year. 

Jake was used to Pokécenters, even if each one was a little different from the other. There was always the basic pokéball symbol, and always a Nurse Joy presiding as the head nurse of the facility, sometimes with assistants. In small towns, they usually even worked alone, with only a pokémon to help. Jake admired them a whole lot, even if he always got a little confused at their appearance. They looked a little too alike each other in his opinion. 

He got in line and waved at Dirk, as he moved towards one of the corridors, probably in the direction of the phones. By the time he reached the front of the line, he was yawning. Traveling always took its toll, and he normally would take a nap around now. Still, he thought, remembering the lunch he just had, he felt weirdly wired at the same time. He needed some caffeine, pronto. 

“Alola! Welcome to the Pokécenter! How may I help you?" Nurse Joy said, turning towards him. 

“Alola!” Jake said, grinning at her. Despite finding them a little weird, he loved how genuine the Joys’ smiles always were. "Arrived just today and wanted to give my pokémons a little check-up. My sweeties are a bit tired after a long day of adventuring!" 

“I just need your trainer ID and passport and then we are ready to go.” 

Jake handed over his pokédex and she poked around it a little until she found his ID. Only people with trainer IDs were allowed to use the Pokécenters for free, and to carry pokéballs. The passport was mainly to show he was allowed to legally enter the country, but it also served as an authorization to catch local pokémon. 

Since the pokédex was still a relatively restricted item, with few users, usually it was also possible to access your ID through one's cell phones; a rather marvelous creation in his view. Jake preferred to not carry one himself; Arceus knew how many calls he would be fending off otherwise. But it was still amazing the idea of being capable of carrying such a catch-all device on your pocket, compared to those times as a little tyke when he had been completely dependent on the pokécenters to make calls. 

Jake recalled Espeon after giving her a little kiss in the head and handed over his pokéballs to Nurse Joy. She whistled and from one of the doors beside the counter came a Comfey, pushing along a cart. She laid down the pokéballs there and turned to him again. 

“Anything else?” 

“Yes! I was wondering if I could have a room. We are planning to stay here for a couple of days, you see.” 

Nurse Joy hummed as she clicked and clacked at her computer before she nodded her head. 

“We have a single trainer room, yes. Here,” she said, giving him an electronic key card, "it's the room 413. Do you want me to send you a message when they are ready to be released?” 

“Yes, please.” 

Jake took the key and pocked it into his bag. He needed to get a little rest before meeting Dirk again, and preferably a shower as well. 

* * *

Jake hurried down the corridor of his room, cursing to himself. He knew of his terrible habit of being late as hell to all obligations, but this was the last thing he wanted to be late to! One thing was not giving Dirk the impression that he cared _too_ much about his opinion; another was letting him think he didn’t care at all! 

By the time he arrived at the center’s door, Dirk was waiting by one of the benches, reading a pamphlet. He hadn't changed clothes, except for a different colored hat. It was well known among trainers that it was for the best not to carry much in terms of clothing while traveling, but he wondered if Dirk still maintained that habit. 

Dirk looked up from his perusal and looked at him puffing and huffing as he leaned forward to support himself, hands on his knees. 

“Sorry… I’m… late…” 

"Nah, man, it's okay. I took the chance to go by the Tourist Bureau and see what we can do in the next few days." He put the pamphlet in his bag and then muttered to himself. "Going to need to spend some time to organize our shit. Hate doing stuff with no schedule." 

"Have you gone to the shops, then?" 

"Bro, would I really abandon you into being the only one surprised by the sheer terribleness of the tourist traps we're going into? Come on." 

He knocked into Jake's shoulder, a simple acknowledgment of his presence. Jake followed him outside, smiling to himself. 

They walked the streets beside one another with the light of the afternoon sun framing the buildings. The sound of laughter and pokémon battles echoed in the wind. Tourists rushed the sidewalk, some with their pokémon outside, and Jake could see one group in the distance singing loudly. 

The first shop they went into was a small department store. There were racks of clothing all over the place, and a spectacular plastic palm tree against one of the walls. There were two small dressing rooms in the right corner, and a surfing board serving as decoration near the ceiling. Mirrors were carefully arranged around the room. The salesperson on the counter was smiling stiffly, and her greeting seemed tired and rehearsed. They nodded to her, Jake giving her a smile, and moved along. 

“Okay, what do you think of this shirt for Dave?” 

Dirk was holding a traditional Alolan floral print shirt, that one kind all tourists were supposed to have at some point or another. It was red with yellow flowers, something no Kantonian would ever wear. Jake only knew of Dave through Dirk's words many years ago, but it looked ironic enough if Jake understood the concept right. 

“You know I don’t get the ironies, but I can’t imagine him not liking it! It’s a gift from you and he likes red, right?” 

Dirk hummed. 

“He would probably wear it in the middle of a challenge, just to make the trainer underestimate him. Or maybe in a date with Karkat, just to see him blow his top.” 

Those sounded like good enough reasons for a man as professionally ironic as Mr. Strider. He put the shirt on the little cart and Jake started looking around too, remembering his own need to buy gifts. 

In the hat section, he found a spectacular hat with rockruff ears on top that he knew his grandma would love. They both shared a healthy passion for canine pokémon. 

“How does it look on me?” He said to Dirk, trying for an impish smile. It didn't seem to work since, for a brief moment, he looked rather uncomfortable. 

“I don’t know, bro, you trying to get into the hat business, sounds risky.” 

“What! But every trainer uses hats. I use hats all the time.” 

“One thing is using hats because the sun is a motherfucker trying to murder us all with its waves. Another is to try and look stylish.” 

“Oh, so you don’t think I look stylish in this hat?” Jake said, crossing his arms and grinning. 

“Now, now, I never said that.” 

“Well, you can keep your unsaid words to yourself, mister, because I’m buying two matching hats so I can share them with grandma." 

Dirk pondered for a moment then nodded. “If she asks, I told you that you look cute as fuck.” 

Jake chuckled. Dirk had been weirdly intimidated by his grandma, that one time they met on the first day of his pokémon journey. 

He pondered what else to buy. Maybe further on the trip, he could buy something fancy for Feferi. She had offered him a guided trip through the Aether Paradise, which he knew was a chance few people got with so little previous warning. Maybe something for Aradia…? They weren’t close, but he liked her well enough. 

He wondered if he should get something for Jane. The situation between them was still fairly tense, but… 

Dirk also seemed to be perplexed by the number of choices. He was holding two t-shirts and was looking between them with a blank face of confusion. 

“Need any help there, amigo?” 

He seemed unsure, lowering the t-shirts and looking for a few seconds at Jake in silence. Jake gulped and tugged at his shirt, uncertain. 

“You don’t know what happened to Karkat and Dave, huh.” 

“I… no, bro. I know that you took command of the gym for the past few years, but it was never announced why anywhere.” 

Jake had searched the interwebs for an answer a few years back, but he never used any company resources to dig deeper. Janey had offered back when they first met, but he had felt like it would be a little too invasive of Dirk’s privacy. 

Dirk nodded ponderously, and then he yanked one of the shirts closer, a grey one with a Crabominable waving its pincers and the phrase " _Don’t you know, I’m Crabominable in the morning_ ”. Jake guessed that was that on that matter. 

He wondered if he should ask. The moment the thought came to mind, though, his heart started to beat faster in anxiety and he decided to let it go. He and Dirk were having a good time! Why bring up the potentially nasty business into it? 

By the time their cart was full, the sun had started its descent. Jake decided, in end, to see the other shops before buying anything else. Maybe he could find something really cool in one of the ruins for Aradia, and if he did buy something for Jane, both she and Feferi would prefer something a little more refined. Dirk just added one more shirt on the cart, this one with a smiling Alolan Meowth and the phrase " _Only in Alola can you find an adorable cat like me_ ”. 

There were street lamps already being lit and people were moving through the street in happy little clusters. The saleswoman looked positively dizzy with tiredness. She counted their total and gave them their bags with the smile of one who felt like the dead. 

They moved silently and Jake couldn't help but feel like they were having another moment where the air got kind of tense. He had learned, over the years, that his skill with the vaulted "social norms" was kind of lacking. Should he have asked Dirk about Karkat and Dave after all? The mere thought raised his heartbeat again. 

Instead, he decided to go for a different subject entirely. 

"So, Strider, are you happy with your purchase?" Jake said, trying to go for an enthusiastic tone. "I thought we could leave this in our rooms and then maybe go do something else. Maybe eat together again? What do you think?" 

“Well, we could do that, or we could go to the festival they’re having in Iki Town.” 

Dirk tried in vain to reach the pamphlet in his backpack, but his numerous bags obscured the way. 

“Just tell me, bro.” 

He frowned and then shrugged. 

“Apparently, Tapu Koko, the Island Guardian, blessed one of the new trainers today. Even gave the kid a _sparkling stone_. So they’re having a festival to celebrate. We could go.” 

“Wow, a _sparkling stone_! Isn’t that what they use to make the Z-Ring?” He remembered that one trainer that used one in the last Indigo League. It was one of the coolest things Jake had ever seen on TV since he first heard of mega stones. He _really_ wanted one. “But would we be welcomed?” Jake wondered. After all, this was a local tradition, and they were tourists. Tourists could be terrible intruders. 

“As long we aren't rude. And also not to take photos.” 

“But, are you up for the trip? I didn’t think you slept.” And everyone knew jetlag was a bitch. 

“Dude, sleep is a mortal construct and I’m above its grasping hands. It's like one of those overprotective moms not willing to let go when it's time for their kids to travel. The kids like, but mom, back in your day they let kids go at ten years old, just let me go, I'm an adult now. And the mom is crying and trying to hold on to him, saying you're just thirteen! But I'm no kid and I have no mom. I am also an adult." He paused to breathe. "So, yeah, I don't need sleep." 

“My goodness, okay! I’ll be glad to go, then! No need to get your knickers in a twist. Do you think they’ll have food?” 

“Untwist the knickers, got it. But Arceus, I hope so. Buying stuff can be hella tiring.” 

Jake nodded in agreement. 

They moved in silent companionship towards the pokécenter, the air a little less tense, and Jake felt like his heart was bursting a little. Dirk still felt like a weird mixture of friend and stranger, but his presence was comforting in a way only his grandma had ever been. 

He didn’t know what they were going to do, what they were going to be, after this trip. But he wished, for a moment, that they could remain friends. 

* * *

The question occurred to him just as he was getting off his rented Pokémon ride, a rather friendly Taurus. 

“Dude, do you even enjoy parties? You don’t seem like the type.” 

Dirk tossed him a look over the top of his glasses and Jake cringed because if he had thought just a bit more before blurting that all out over the sidewalk, he would have kept his mouth shut. It was just a little odd, seeing Dirk with carefully styled gelled up hair, like he used to wear as a kid. There was something painfully nostalgic about it. He wasn’t sure if he wanted the hat back or not. 

Dirk didn't seem offended, though. He lifted one of his shoulders in a shrug and affirmed. "Kind of? As long as I don't need to be in the middle of it. I prefer to observe people. I think it's interesting how they act when they don't think they're being watched." 

He paused for a moment to look in the direction the melodic beat was coming from. "I also prefer this kind of music to a lot of what they have at most parties. And…" 

“And…?” 

“Do you like parties?” Dirk said, completely changing the subject in a way that was not at all subtle. 

Jake normally have said yes with all the enthusiasm that was expected of him as a young adult coming from big money, desired by all party goers everywhere. But he hesitated, oddly enough. 

“Sure! All the dancing, and the alcohol, and…” 

Dirk was looking at him with a raised eyebrow of pure skepticism. 

"I grew tired of parties a few years ago," Jake confessed. 

He didn't like remembering that moment in his life when he got into all kinds of trouble. Sixteen-year-old Jake had been one of the true low points of his life. 

“But! I think I will enjoy this one. You can do your people watching thingy, I can enjoy my time besides an old pal and try and see if Tapu Koko appears!” Because that would be so awesome. “And we can try some of the local recipes, which is the most important thing of all.” 

"Definitely." Dirk nodded in mock seriousness before they both grinned at each other. 

As they got closer, Jake could almost feel the beat through his body. Iki Town was, according to the maps, a rather small village, near the outskirts of Hau’oli. Indeed, it had taken them nearly an hour by bus to arrive close to the village. 

Jake could feel the sense of heat on his skin and the smell of burning wood as they passed by the big wooden gateway. The smell also made him quite hungry, he swore he could almost feel the smoky taste of the meat and fish being cooked. 

Few people were talking and dancing near the entrance, most of the main party seeming to be concentrated near the top of the hill. They passed by several houses and fire stands and climbed a short amount of stairs. There, people danced to the thrumming beat around an empty wooden stage, with a big bonfire behind it casting odd shadows. Jake could almost see the old marks of past pokémon battles on the floor. 

On the far left, he was relieved to notice, there was a food stand, with a friendly old man behind it, handing food over. He clutched Dirk’s sleeve. 

“Come on, food, food!” 

Jake almost flailed as Dirk didn't move. Instead, he seemed to be pushing them towards the right, where beyond the crowd a house, bigger and richer in details than the others, stood. 

“Wait, I want you to meet someone.” 

The person Dirk introduced him to seemed well-loved in the community. With a full head of gray hair, he wore a floral robe with very high pants and sandals and overall seemed like someone very wise. An old mentor, Jake thought in delight, like in the movies. He was surrounded by people, but he dismissed them with a smile when he saw Dirk. 

“Alola, Dirk! It’s nice to meet you. I see Karkat’s colorful descriptions didn’t miss a thing.” 

“That’s Karkat for you. Only Dave ever managed to reach his level of absurd descriptions. Jake,” He said, turning towards him. “This is Kahuna Silas. He’s Karkat’s uncle.” 

“Nice to meet you, Jake. And I see you’re also a Pokémon trainer. Such a shame you two only arrived now. You missed the battle.” 

“Battle?” Jake asked, looking over at the stage. 

Kahuna Silas followed his gaze and smiled. 

"It's traditional to honor Tapu Koko with a battle. One of the new trainers was saved by him, and we decided to have her and my granddaughter as the main event of the night. They are beginners, but their passion shone in every move! I can't wait to see how far my Nepeta will go." 

He turned back towards the two of them. 

“We even heard Tapu Koko’s cry as we witnessed the battle! Our guardian is a fickle creature, and yet he seemed very invested in that new trainer. It will be wonderful to see how far she’ll go. But, don’t let me stop you from enjoying the party! We can talk more later.” 

They both turned away and headed for the food stand, and Jake couldn’t help but huff a little in frustration. “Can you believe we missed it!” 

"I'm sure we'll catch the old rooster at some point," Dirk said, drily. "More importantly, food." 

“Hell yes.” 

The stand was filled with traditional dishes, and Jake got a bit of everything. His grandma had made sure as grew up that he could eat anything and everything on his plate, and it was one of his superpowers these days, his indestructible palate. Dirk was a bit more selective, focusing more on the sushi-like fish and the fruits, with some type of purple-ish paste and bread. Both of them got orange juice. 

They sat on a bench and focused on eating for a while. Jake felt like an explorer, meeting a new land and people through the new tastes bursting on his tongue. Some he turned away from, feeling like it was a tad too sour or bitter, but mostly he enjoyed the local food. 

Dirk poked him with his elbow and nodded to the bonfire. “We can come back some other day and see if Silas will give us a tour.” 

“A tour? Of what?” Jake said, after eating through a mouthful. 

“The Ruins of Conflict. According to the pamphlet’s photos, it’s deep within that trail, between those two big ass trees.” 

Indeed, between the two big trees behind the bonfire, there was a shadowy path deep into the woods. Welcoming one into the trail were two little wooden carvings with frowny faces. 

"Those are tikis," Dirk said, gesturing with a piece of bread to the frowny faces. "They use them here to mark the entrance to sacred places.” 

“Gosh darn, Dirk, I had no idea you knew so much about Alolan culture! You should have told me. I must have sounded right ignorant to you.” 

“It’s not like we know each other that well, dude.” 

The moment of brisk silence between them was compounded by the people dancing and the echoing local music. Jake couldn’t even eat, his movements frozen. 

Dirk sighed before setting the now empty plate beside himself on the bench. “When Karkat first told me his paternal side of the family came from Alola, I got a bit obsessive in my curiosity. You know how I get with research. I always wanted to come here, when I was younger. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was why Roxy pressured me into this trip.” 

“Didn’t they give you the ticket because they couldn’t come?” 

"That's what they said, yeah, but it's possible they were bullshitting me. Roxy probably just wanted me to go on a vacation, for the first time in my life." 

“They sound like a great friend, then! Why do you seem upset?” 

Dirk was looking into the bonfire in contemplation before tilting his head and looking at Jake sideways. “Do I?” 

“Yeah, you sure do! But if a pal gifts you with a vacation, shouldn’t you be happy about it?” 

“Hmmm.” 

Dirk stayed silent. 

Jake tried to prompt him into conversation a few more times, but he still looked upset. Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed, but it was important to pay attention to the little details with Dirk; the subtle frown between his eyebrows, the way his lips tilted just a tad downwards. 

In the end, Jake felt like the evening ended on a flat note, and he couldn't help but blame himself. He didn't quite know what he did wrong in that conversation, but it was surely _something_. It was always his fault when these things happened. 

Usually, he would have spent more time focusing carefully on his words, making sure they were pleasing to the audience, but he had felt oddly carefree with Dirk. He needed to be more careful next time; if Dirk even decided to give him another chance. 

He wondered if he should have brought out one of his pokémon to help break the ice a bit. But Growlith was a little too rowdy for such a delicate situation, his Ditto was too young and understood even less than him about social norms, and Vulpix hated most human beings with few exceptions. The only option would have been Espeon, but she had seemed so tired... 

They left the village after a brief goodbye to Kahuna Silas and to his granddaughter, Nepeta. They walked for a while in uncomfortable silence, that Jake both wanted to break but also feared doing so. 

As they sat on a bench, waiting for the app that summoned their Rides to turn on, Dirk was the one that ended up doing it, with all the speed eighteen-year-old Dirk had used in those old Pokewatch videos of his when cutting stuff with his ninja sword. 

"Why didn't you call me. All those years ago." He said flatly; what should have been a question, but was mostly a statement. "I waited through one of the worst periods of my life for my best friend to call me, to ask me how I was, and he just… didn't." 

Jake froze in his seat before stammering something that sounded mostly like gibberish. Dirk, however, continued speaking, relentlessly. 

"I left before I could accomplish the biggest dream of my life because my family got into an accident, and you didn't bother to call. You come to me with that ignorant grin on your face, like we're the best of pals instead of people who last saw each other seven years ago, but you weren't there for me when Karkat was in a coma, with the chance of never waking up, and Dave was in a depressive episode trapped inside a wheelchair." 

Dirk’s face grimaced in barely suppressed anger. 

“Roxy was there. Roxy, barely older than me, a new assistant at the gym whom I hardly knew, was the one who helped in the coming months, years, with the paperwork, with Dave, with _everything_. Fuck, without them we would have lost the gym! That's a reason for you why they shouldn't have bothered with this," he said gesturing, seemingly, to all of Alola. "They already spent their teen years worried about a messed up kid who should have been better, more independent, more capable. They should get the chance to spend time with their fucking girlfriend without worrying about me, now that I'm at fucking loose ends, with Dave getting back to his life, Karkat finally awake, and no more gym leader job." 

"I'm sure they don't think that way," Jake whispered. "I can't imagine someone being your friend and thinking that way about you." 

Dirk deflated, falling back from his almost standing position. He just looked sad now, back curved like he was trying to hide from the world. 

“Probably not. They’re too good for me, I guess.” 

Jake spent a moment in silence, trying to articulate his thoughts. This was important, he thought firmly to himself, the most important thing he had to say since the time he had broken up with Jane. 

“I remember that moment clearly.” Jake mused to himself. Dirk uncurled a little to give him a frown. “Now, none of that! I know my memory is terrible in general, but I repeated that memory so many times in my head over the years…” 

He trailed off with a grimace. 

"We were fourteen years old with complete teams and all the badges necessary. You were so excited for the chance at fighting all the toughest of opponents, and I was trying to talk myself up because I was actually terribly afraid I would mess up horribly on live television. I knew you would be champion, because you were the best trainer I ever met, so dedicated to his pokémon, to finding a way to make them even better… I just wanted the chance to reach the final battle, me and you, the ultimate rivals! In front of the whole world, giving our all." 

"I had been having doubts, about being a competitive Pokémon trainer, though," Jake admitted, still a sting of shame. "I like having the odd fight with someone, and I love watching other people go at it, but the idea of competing in the official circuit gave me the goosebumps. People go to extreme lengths to get their pokémon ready for competition, and with exception of Growlith, most of my pokémon aren’t that big fans of battles.” 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dirk whispered, his face now hidden behind his hands. He pushed his glasses until they rested on top of his head, messing up his hair, and looked at Jake with tired eyes. "I wouldn't have forced you to continue." 

“I never thought you would! But it was so clearly important to you, that I wanted to try my best and be there for you. Give the world the greatest showing it had ever seen! Instead…” 

“I left.” 

"You did. Right before your first battle, you left, muttering about how you had more important things to be doing. I figured you had realized the truth, that I was terrible and a fake trainer, and that you could get a better rival than me basically anywhere else. And then I fell apart in live television with a humiliating defeat on my first battle." 

“Fuck.” Dirk muttered. 

"Yeah," Jake whispered. "It sounds so stupid right now, knowing that your only family was in some kind of accident, but… Dagnabbit, I felt like a failure, like a terrible friend. Like I failed to measure up to your expectations, just like I feared I would. I tried to call, but I just couldn't. Then time passed, and it got worse and worse, because I didn't want to have this talk. I didn't want you to hate me for not calling you, but I didn't want you to tell me I was a failure." 

“I don’t think you’re a failure, Jake. I’m still angry at you, I’ve been for years. But I never thought of you as a failure.” 

“Really?” Jake sniffed, trying to contain the tears. “It’s all you ever hear growing up, you know. Everywhere, in the news, in the tv shows and movies, it’s all _you gotta be the very best, like no one ever was_. They never tell you about other professions, and there aren't many things that I'm good at. Now here I am, a twenty-year-old fuckup, no path forward, and the future is so friggin’ scary, Dirk." 

Dirk hugged him, and Jake almost melted. He hadn't expected it, and the shock of his warmth against his cold skin made him realize he was shivering, now so far away from the heat of the party. 

“I am too. And I… can’t blame you fully. I had your grandma’s number. I could have called.” 

“It doesn’t sound like you were in the right mind to worry about me like that.” 

“Maybe I didn’t. But it sounds like you were through a tough time too.” 

They separated, with Dirk firming his gaze into Jake’s eyes. 

"I'm still angry. I've been carrying it for years, and I don't know how to let go of that. But… I want to forgive you. I want to be your friend again, to learn you. We were such stupid little kids... Twenty-year-old Jake seems like a good person. If you still want to travel together, after this fuckup of a night, I would be happy to start planning our itinerary in the morning." 

"I’d like that," Jake said, tears finally spilling down his face as he smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> yo, this is, I think, the biggest fanfic I've published in ao3 yet. dirkjake week really is a miracle that keeps on giving, and seeing so many excited about this ship in the big bang discord just made me want to write more, lmao.  
> If you guys see any grammatical errors or like, you didn't understand something, or you want me to mark it with a specific tag, just send me an ask. I hope you guys enjoyed it.  
> There's more backstory between those two, and what's up with Jane, but I think that's for another story.


End file.
